The thing I love most about running is pushing my limits. This year, I set out to challenge all my personal bests—improving my pace at every race distance and testing my endurance to run longer than ever before. My original goal was my June running challenge, which left me on such a high that I immediately began wondering how to top it. I had been eyeing the Fat Ass Run, but then I discovered a new race happening right in my hometown—Manotick’s first Backyard Ultra.
I’d always been curious about the Backyard Ultra format, and having one in Manotick felt like fate.
For background, a Backyard Ultra is a “last person standing” ultramarathon where runners complete a 6.7 km (4.167-mile) loop every hour on the hour, continuing until only one runner can finish a loop within the hour.
Training and Preparation
At the end of July, I signed up—without really knowing what I was getting into. I had no idea how much planning and support it actually takes to have a successful Backyard Ultra. Normally, I just bring a few gels and a protein shake for after a race.
The best thing I did was mention the event to my buddy, Chris Steele. He’d been wanting to do one of these, and having him join made the whole experience (and my results) a hundred times better. Once we were both registered, training kicked into high gear. We encouraged each other through multiple “test loops” and course simulations.
Early on, Anubhav offered to be my support crew for race day. At the time, I didn’t really understand how crucial that would be. As race week approached, Rudi stepped in as crew chief—and that’s when I realized just how serious the logistics were. Rudi laid out everything we’d need and how the setup would run. It opened my eyes.
Race Day
The night before, I tossed and turned, waking up early to eat and load the car. I arrived with what I thought was everything: water, clothes, food, and a cooler. I was quickly told to sit down and relax while Rudi and Anubhav took over setup. That set the tone—they had everything under control.
Just before 8 a.m., the street was lined with tents, crews, and runners. The energy was electric. Time to go!
Loops 1–5 (0–33.5 km)
These felt like a typical training day. The temperature was mild, the atmosphere was buzzing, and my legs felt good. The real difference came when finishing each loop—Rudi and Anubhav took care of everything. I’d drop my vest, sit down, and they’d handle fluids, food, foot care, and any gear changes. This efficient pit-stop routine set us up perfectly for what lay ahead.
Loops 6–10 (33.5–67 km)
By afternoon, the temperature climbed to around 26°C, and the heat became a major challenge. Eating and taking in calories got harder—my body simply didn’t want food. Rudi’s experience was invaluable; he was pushing food on me like a Thanksgiving mom, and it kept me fueled enough to keep going.
We also got a steady stream of visitors—friends bringing popsicles, ice hats, high fives, even massages. Those visits lifted my spirits and gave me the mental boost I needed to push through until the temperatures started to cool.
Loops 11–15 (67–100.5 km)
Before this race, my longest run ever was 10 loops. I’d been completely drained after that. But this time, I was better fueled, better supported, and more determined. As the sun went down, the temperature dropped, and even the clouds cooperated.
Seeing my wife and youngest son (fresh from the bus back from university) on the course gave me such a huge lift. As night set in, stomach issues replaced the heat struggles, but once again, Rudi had remedies ready.
Heading into the event, my “stretch goal” was 15 laps (the 100 km milestone). As midnight approached, I told Judy I only had one or two laps left in me. I truly believed that was all I could manage.
Loops 16–17 (100.5–113.9 km)
A number of runners dropped after lap 100. Even though this is technically a race against yourself, I’d be lying if I said moving up the standings didn’t help me keep going. I pushed through lap 16 with that in mind, then tackled lap 17 because I wanted to literally run into the next day—it started at midnight. Setting those little mini-goals kept me alive.
Loop 18 (113.9–120.6 km)
By this point, my body and mind were done. I went out knowing it was probably my last lap. I managed the first few kilometers okay, but around 3 km in, the wheels started coming off. I was near the back of the pack—mentally tough to accept—but I dug deep and came in with just 2½ minutes to spare.
As I crossed the line, I told Rudi I was done. He convinced me to sit, rest, and not officially quit. Instead, he said, “Just walk the next lap, DNF properly.” With seconds left on the clock, I reluctantly entered the corral again.
Loop 19 (120.6–127.3 km)
This lap was pure grit. I alternated short bursts of running with longer stretches of walking, staying a few minutes behind pace by the halfway mark. But I kept telling myself it was possible. At the 6 km hill, which we’d walked all day, I had to run to make the cutoff, and it nearly broke me.
Somehow, I shuffled back down Ann Street and made it with two minutes to spare. I knew Rudi would try to talk me into one more. He did, and I reluctantly agreed again.
Loop 20 (127.3–134 km)
I stumbled into the corral with seconds to spare, utterly spent. My legs were gone, my balance was off, and I was running on fumes. I might have cursed Rudi under my breath. I could only manage a shaky walk, and even that hurt. My feet and ankles throbbed with every step.
I think I took around 85 minutes to finish that loop. They even sent cyclists out to check on me. As I made my way down Ann Street, I was surprised to see my neighbor out on his bike at 4:30 a.m. to cheer me on—that moment meant a lot.
Crossing the line for the last time, I was proud to mark my name off the board as another DNF. I had given everything I had—and then some. Doubling my previous longest run and finishing among the final six runners (5th-last DNF) felt incredible.
I’m proud of what I achieved and deeply grateful for the support from Rudi, Anubhav, Chris, my family, and everyone who came out. It truly took a team effort to get me to 134 km.
Run K2J 